British Twitter Hacker Sentenced to Prison in the US: Joseph James O’Connor, a British national known as ‘PlugwalkJoe’, has been sentenced to five years in a US prison for his involvement in hacking schemes targeting Twitter accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and social media accounts.
The sentencing comes after O’Connor’s arrest in Spain in July 2021 and subsequent extradition to the US. He pleaded guilty in May.
Key Takeaways to British Twitter Hacker Sentenced to Prison in the US:
- British hacker Joseph James O’Connor, also known as ‘PlugwalkJoe’, has received a five-year prison sentence in the US for his role in various hacking schemes.
- O’Connor engaged in SIM swapping attacks, stealing approximately $794,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company.
- He also participated in a high-profile Twitter hack, targeting accounts of notable individuals such as Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk.
Joseph James O’Connor, a British national widely known as ‘PlugwalkJoe’, has been handed a five-year prison sentence in the United States for his involvement in multiple hacking schemes that targeted Twitter accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and social media accounts.
SIM Swapping Attack and Cryptocurrency Theft
Court documents reveal that between March 2019 and May 2019, O’Connor and his accomplices executed a SIM-swapping attack, resulting in the theft of $794,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a cryptocurrency company based in Manhattan.
The attack involved taking control of the phone numbers of three executives at the targeted company to gain unauthorized access to accounts and computers, allowing them to steal cryptocurrency from wallets belonging to two clients.
O’Connor and his co-conspirators attempted to launder the stolen funds through multiple transactions, some of which involved depositing crypto-coins into wallets controlled by O’Connor himself.
Targeting High-Profile Twitter Accounts
In July 2020, O’Connor participated in a scheme that aimed to compromise various Twitter accounts by gaining unauthorized access to internal tools used by the social media platform.
Leveraging these administrative tools, the hackers successfully hijacked numerous high-profile accounts, including those of prominent individuals such as Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk. The attack targeted approximately 130 accounts.
SIM Swapping, Extortion, and Stalking
According to court documents, O’Connor employed SIM-swapping techniques to gain unauthorized access to two accounts on TikTok and Snapchat. Using this access, he threatened to release sensitive and personal materials about the victims.
Additionally, between June and July 2020, O’Connor stalked and intimidated a minor, orchestrating a series of swatting attacks against the victim.
These attacks involved making false emergency calls and sending misleading messages to law enforcement agencies, a high school, a restaurant, and a sheriff’s department in the victim’s vicinity.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Joseph James O’Connor pled guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, money laundering, computer intrusion, extortion, stalking, and making threats.
In addition to the five-year prison sentence, he was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $794,000 in forfeiture.
Conclusion to British Twitter Hacker Sentenced to Prison in the US
The sentencing of Joseph James O’Connor to five years in a US prison highlights the serious consequences for individuals involved in hacking schemes and cybercrimes. O’Connor’s activities, which included SIM-swapping attacks, cryptocurrency theft, and high-profile Twitter account breaches, demonstrate the need for robust cybersecurity measures and the diligent enforcement of laws to protect individuals and organizations from malicious actors.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding digital assets and personal information in an increasingly interconnected world.
